Jawans remember 1947 martyrs on Infantry Day

KOLKATA: Infantry Day was celebrated at the Eastern Command Headquarters in the city on Saturday with Lt Gen Dalbir Singh, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief and senior-most Infantry officer in the region, laying a wreath on the Vijay Smarak in Fort William. October 27 was the day in 1947 when the first body of Indian Army soldiers landed at the Srinagar airfield to ward off Pakistani troops, who launched attacks on the valley with the help of tribals.

The day is of particular significance to the Eastern Command as Lt Gen Lionel Pratip Sen (then a Brigadier) commanded the historic 161 Brigade, which fought tooth and nail against heavy odds to defend the country's North Western boundary and protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sen went on to become the GOC-in-C, Eastern Command and held this post in 1962 when India suffered its worst debacle in the battlefield.

The former general, in his critically acclaimed book 'Slender was the Thread: Kashmir Confrontation, 1947-48' had noted how India was unable to hang on to territory captured by troops under his command due to the apathy of higher-ups in Delhi. His views of the situation in 1947-48 came true in 1962 when a totally untrained, unprepared and under-equipped Indian Army came face-to-face with the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the higher reaches of the Himalayas.

On Saturday, Lt Gen Singh, in his message to the Infantry soldier, exhorted them to carry forward the ideals of true professionalism to greater heights while evolving with the changing times to face the challenges of the modern-day battlefield. This is the day when befitting tribute is paid to the infantrymen who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. A traditional 'Barakhana' was organized during the day for officers and troops, including retired Infantry officers and veterans.